Scattered Past
by Moonlit Shadow Dancer
Summary: The day Azira finds a strange green scrapbook dedicated to her from her biological mother sends her on an adventure to find and collect the missing pieces of her past. Raised as a child of Azar, Azira uses ancient magic to send her back to find out about herself and her parents. (Rated T: Certain things mentioned, though not described) (Lyrics by Flyleaf)
1. Tomcat's

~Titan's Tower, sixteen years ago~

~Beast Boy's POV~

"Yo, B," Cyborg called after me down the hall. I stopped abruptly and turn towards my best friend, forcing a smile.

"What's up, Cy?" I ask, giving him a high-five that nearly shatters every bone in my hand.

"You wanna play some one-on-one? Betcha can't beat me at Mega Monkeys X: The Vengeance of King Louie!"

"Nah, dude." I decline, though I have to give him props for trying. It's been nearly a month since I picked up a game controller. It was around the same time she left…

Cyborg must have noticed my change of attitude, because his cold metal hand gently patted my back in attempt to comfort me.

"C'mon, man," he said, "Ya cain't keep blammin' yourself. She didn't leave 'cause of y-"

"But what if she did?!" I cut him off. A mixture of rage, confusion, and abandonment filled my entire being. I let out an exaggerated sigh and pushed past him.

"I'm going for a walk." I call, unsure if he is still listening or not.

The fresh air overcame my senses as soon as I exited the tower. I changed into a falcon to make a hasty getaway. I couldn't stand being there any longer, especially when everything reminded me of her. The salty sea breeze lifted my wings off the ground and before I knew it I was hovering over Jump City.

Now that there weren't any distractions, I gave myself time to think about her.

Starfire had been sure that her best friend left because she didn't want to be our friend anymore, but after much convincing from Robin, she was reassured that she would never leave them like that without saying so. Cyborg, being the big-brother type, was concerned that she was being held captive, but as he had done with Starfire, Robin steered his thoughts towards a rather important piece of information. If she were being held captive then a ransom of some sort would have been made. Robin's opinion was that she had left of her own freewill, and that she wouldn't have done so unless she had something urgent to take care of.

However, I couldn't help but feel she was leaving because we had started to become serious with our relationship. Like, _serious_ serious. We might have taken it a little too far, but instead of leaving she should have talked it out with me! Everything had been going well until that night. If it meant that I could have her back, I would gladly prevent our passionate rendezvous. But no matter of wishing could help me now.

Suddenly, a lone figure caught my sight from below. My heart nearly stopped when I noticed the violet hair. Before I realized what I was doing, I swooped down and shifted into my human form before I had completely landed.

* * *

~Jump City, Antique Books~

~Azira's POV~

The city was bustling with large herds of people outside of the bookstore I had taken refuge in. Out of sheer luck, this store was the first place on my mother's map. I took in my surroundings in awe. There were dozens of books upon ceiling tall shelves along with a few center displays of collectable comic books. I couldn't believe it. I must have died along the way and despite my demonic heritage, managed to make it to heaven.

A woman in her late sixties approached me with a black book entitled 'Magix: Hexes and Enchantments'.

"I was worried you weren't going to come back in time and I would have to give it away to another." The petite woman said in a Russian accent. She placed the book in my hands.

"Oh, I think you have mistaken me for someone else," I responded.

"Are you not Raven of the Teen Titans?" the woman peered at me from behind her glasses.

"No, ma'am," I politely corrected, "My name is Azira, but I can see how you could make that mistake. I based my look off her."

The woman easily believed my little white lie and apologized for her mistake. She offered me a few sales pitches that were very generous, however I declined saying that I needed to be somewhere soon. I promised the storekeeper that I would return and left the shop into the busy streets.

People bumped into me in their hurry and some did a double take, most likely trying to determine whether or not I was 'Raven of the Teen Titans'.

I heard a thud that sounded a lot like a crash landing. I decided to ignore it, but someone's hand latched onto my arm forcing me to turn towards the noise. I let out a shout of fright and was about ready to knee my apprehender in the gut when I realized that I knew the person. Well, I didn't _know _the person exactly, but I recognized him from my mother's scrapbook.

He scanned me entirely before landing on my eyes. His elfish ears drooped down when he realized I wasn't who he was looking for.

"Oh, I'm really sorry about that," he said, scratching the back of his head nervously, "I thought you were…never mind. I really am sorry, though. Dude, I can't believe how much you look like her though, I mean, your hair is longer and your eyes aren't the right color, but, I mean, you-I'm rambling now, sorry. Um…Hi, I'm Beast Boy."

I stared blankly at the gloved hand he pushed towards me. I had never heard anyone talk so much in one breath and quite frankly, I had trouble keeping up with what he had said. I took his hand and gave it a firm shake and introduced myself after I had finally processed everything he had said.

"Azira? That's an unusual name." he tilted his head, then quickly amended, "unusually pretty."

"Thanks," I said, "my mother chose it."

"Really? How did she come up with it?"

"Well, I suppose it's because it's similar to someone she cared for very much."

"Who was that?" he persisted.

"Oh, um, just my aunt." I lied.

Beast Boy took the hint and became silent for a moment while he thought of something else to say.

"Well…I guess I better get going." I smile and walk around him.

"Wait," he called after me, "Where are you going? It's gonna be dark out soon. Trust me, you don't wanna be out and about when the sun goes down unless you have someone with ya."

"I was heading towards this café at the end of the street, Tomcats. Ever heard of it?" I looked at him expectantly. His pointed canine pierced his bottom lip drawing out a bit of blood. I could sense the uneasiness stirring within him. His ears peeled backwards like an animal's would when it hears a sound of an uncomfortable frequency.

"Yea, I know the place." He admitted. "I guess hanging out there beats staying at the Tower, though. Mind if I tag along?"

I contemplated the idea carefully. This boy did have some connection to my mother. If he was _one_ of the famed Titans from my time, if he couldn't help me find her then one of his teammates would certainly be able to.

"I don't see why not." I shrugged.

His ears perked up as he flashed me a toothy grin. The two of us walked the short distance in silence. The closer we got to our destination the more we could feel the beat of an electric bass pulsating down the sidewalk. Soon the high pitched wailing of the guitar could be heard from the well known rock café. Both of us increased our speed to walk in step with the beat of the drum. The changing lights glowed, painting the grey path different colors of red, yellow, blue, and orange.

"I wonder who they have playing tonight." Beast Boy thought aloud.

"Who knows," I answered, "it's open mic."

"Maybe I could bring the house down with my awesome singing!" He joked, obviously lightening up.

"Perhaps," I offer trying to sound optimistic. The music increased significantly when we pushed the double doors open. A brunette woman came up to us with two menus.

"I thought our favorite Titans were never going to return." She grinned at the two of us before guiding us to a table set for two facing the now unoccupied stage. It was clear that she was yet another citizen of Jump City confusing me with Raven. I knew I was near identical with my mother's features, but you would think these people would see the difference in our eyes.

The waitress came back with two mugs of freshly brewed tea and a single slice of blueberry pie topped with whipped cream and two forks. She sported a proud grin for remembering her costumers' usual order. She turned on our heels and disappeared amongst the decent crowd.

I brought the mug up to my lips and sipped it so as to not burn myself. '_Black tea,' _I smirked, _'I must be more like my mom than I thought.'_

"Sorry about that," Beast Boy frowned, "She must think you're Rae."

I leaned forward at the nickname with a questioning look.

"Rae?" I placed my cup onto the table.

"Yea, she is my-" He hesitated, "She was a very good friend of mine."

My eyebrows furrowed. It was obvious he was lying, but I didn't know him well enough to point that out so I let it slide.

"Did something happen to her?" I asked.

"What?" He responded. He had a very confused look playing on his green features.

"You said she _was _a good friend," I clarified. "Did something happen?"

"Oh," he thought for a moment, "well, she kinda sorta left the team about a month ago."

"Do you know where she is at?" I asked hopefully.

The look on his face said it all. My heart nearly stopped and a lump formed in my throat. There was no way I had traveled this far back just to be in the same boat I had started out in.

The sound of an electric guitar's gentle melody called our attention to the stage. A girl with thick black hair swayed with the microphone in her hand. Her face was full of sorrow that matched the way I was feeling. With her gloved hand she pulled the mic closer to her lips and began to sing.

_"Amy says she's all alone_

_Says the world doesn't even know_

_About the pain she hides inside_

_Says happiness is just a lie_

_Smell the roses, throw them down_

_Just whisper, don't make a sound_

_Don't want the world to know the truth_

_You've been broken and abused…by you_

_And Amy says_

_'I see you laughing at the rain that hits your face_

_With your arms stretched open soaking in the love_

_In a world I find so hard you find so beautiful_

_There's a hope in you deep inside for me.'_

_The colors of her mind_

_Bleed into each other_

_And as the morning melts the night_

_And the stars enchant another_

_While her eyes are still held shut…"_

I force the words away from me and refocus on Beast Boy. He had begun to nibble on a bit of pie. The blueberries stained his lips a blackish blue. He didn't look as hurt as he had before, but the pain was still lingering.

"Could you tell me about her?" I asked.

"I'd rather not talk about it." He mumbled.

"Sometimes the best memories are the hardest to talk about. Especially when the one you shared them with is no longer around. But you will always feel the hurt if you don't share them with someone." I pointed out. I held my breath hoping praying that I had not overstepped any boundaries. A gentle sigh escaped his blue covered mouth.

"You're right," He said. "I just don't know where to start."

He looked to me with pleading emerald eyes begging for guidance.

"How about with the truth," I instructed, "tell me what she _really _is to you."

A blush crept onto his cheeks making them look an odd shade of brown over the usual green.

"I-I, uh, well, I…Um, you see, I don't exactly…I don't really know anymore." He admitted. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably before adding, "I thought we had _something_. But I guess I was wrong."

"'Something' is usually a two way street. Even if the outcome isn't what one might have expected." I tried my best to comfort him, though it proved difficult when I didn't know him all that well.

"You're oddly wise for a girl, what? Sixteen years old?" he inquired.

"Fifteen," I corrected, "I'll be sixteen next month."

In the silence that followed I picked up my own fork and ate the remains of the discarded pie. We listened to music for a while longer. I finished up the pie and began pulling out some cash.

"No, let me get it." Beast Boy said with enough force to let me know that nothing I said would change his mind. I raised my hands up in defeat and thanked him for his generosity.

He paid for the meal as I picked up my backpack. When Beast Boy returned he looked at the bag for the first time.

"Were you going somewhere?"

"I'm staying in Jump City for a while to do some sight-seeing." I informed.

"Sight-seeing in Jump City?" he smirked, "I mean, the city is cool and all, but there isn't much to look at."

"It's not exactly sight-seeing as it is reliving history." I shrugged. "My mother lived here once. I don't have much left of her except this map and a note."

His mouth formed an 'O' shape though the words did not fully develop.

"Well, if you need a place to crash, you could stay at the tower?"

It was a simple gesture of kindness that I couldn't pass up. I didn't have much money to my name and paying for a hotel would just about leave me out to dry. There was also the chance that the Titans could help me find my mother. After all, she had been one of them.

"That would be…nice." I nodded.

His face lit up at my answer and he chimed, "Sweet!"

Soon we were at the shoreline of Jump City. The sky had already darkened a soft purple and blue with few stars speckled across it. Beast Boy morphed into a pterodactyl, flew up above the ground slightly, and gestured for me to grab his feet to which I obliged. He flew across the water with ease. We made it onto island off the Jump City Bay in no time.

"Uh, wait here for a sec." Beast Boy instructed before entering the tower.

* * *

~Titan's Tower~  
~Beast Boy's POV~

I wasn't quite sure how I would go about informing the team about us becoming a hotel for a tourist for who knows how long, but it had to be done. I could already hear Robin's voice scolding me for making decisions without the team. Despite every instinct in my body telling me to run while I still could I kept walking down the hall to the living room where I knew everyone would be.

The automatic doors slid open and three pairs of eyes looked up from where they sat. Robin and Starfire were cuddling on the couch as they always did around this time while Cyborg was busy in the kitchen killing a whole farm in the process of cooking his meal. This time I ignored the stench of raw animal meat and focused on the elephant in the room, as the expression goes.

"Uh, hey guys." I laughed nervously and scratched the back of my neck.

"Alright, what did you do now, Beast Boy?" Robin asked.

"I-I don't know what you mean." I forced a smile with my hand still resting on my neck.

"You're doing that thing with your hand again." Cyborg pointed out.

"Dang, I really gotta stop doing that." I muttered.

"Friend Beast Boy, might you share what is troubling you?" Starfire moved out of Robin's arms to face me.

"Uh, nothing's troubling me, Star. I mean, there is something I need to talk with you guys about, but it's nothing bad…really."

Robin raised an eyebrow quizzically, signaling for me to continue. I took a deep breath and began the speech I had been thinking up on the way here.

"Okay, so it's like this." I said going into serious mode, "We as Titans are supposed to help people right? Right. No matter the terms, right? Right. Well, I sorta met this person out on the city when I went for a walk and we got to talking when I realized said 'person' didn't have a place to stay while visiting our beloved town, so I may have sorta offered her a place to stay here."

I sucked in a huge gulp of air while I waited for my friends to say something. Robin got up from the couch and started walking towards me. He lifted up his hand and I flinched instinctively bringing my arms above my head for protection. To my surprise his hand didn't land on my face as I had expected it to, but on my shoulder accompanied by a soft pat.

"Why don't we meet this visitor of ours, huh?" he offered a small smile before walking towards the door. Dating Starfire has definitely changed him. In my opinion, for the better.

I slowly unwound myself out of the cowering position I was in and followed him. Before I exited the door I turned towards the kitchen.

"Hey, Cy?" I called. He was completely frozen from the scene that had just unfolded, but he regained consciousness at his name.

"Yea?" he looked at me expectantly.

"Whatever animal you murdered for dinner," I smirked, "It's burning."

I started running away from the room to catch up with Robin and Star just as I heard a satisfying "AW, MAN!"

The moment we opened the doors Starfire gasped and ran to embrace the girl in a bone crushing hug. Our visitor had her back turned to us so that all we could see was long violet hair and her pale arms crossed in front of her. Starfire squeezed her tighter, if that was even possible.

"Friend Raven!" She squealed, "We have all missed you so very much!"

"I'm…not…Raven!" Azira barely managed to say in between gasps of breath.

"But of course you are!" Starfire brought her hand to her mouth as she backed away from Azira. The girl turned to face her and Starfire could see that it really wasn't her long lost best friend. The person in front of her had forest green eyes and was a chakra short on her forehead.

"My name is Azira," she explained, "I'm just passing through Jump City to visit a few places. Beast Boy offered me a place to stay, but I know you guys are a team so the choice is yours to make together. I will understand if there is no place for me here."

"No," Robin spoke for the first time. "There is no need for that. You will be allowed to stay here for the time being."

The boy wonder walked back into the house without looking back. Starfire was thoroughly investigating Azira, lifting up her arms and studying her hair and the features on her face.

"The resemblance to our friend is most uncanny. Tell me, are you somehow related to Raven?" the Alien Princess continued circling Azira with a watchful gaze.

"Um, sadly no." She answered. She laughed but it sounded forced. I picked up Azira's scent in the wind. She smelled of lavender as Raven did, however anxiety was overpowering the familiar aroma.

"Are you most certain?" Star persisted.

"Yes, I am certain." She answered again, this time more forcibly. The nervous scent faded and was replaced by something leaning more towards anger.

"C'mon, Star. Give her a break, I bet she's tired."

"Why would I wish to break her?" Starfire's eyes widened in shock.

"I didn't mean it like…Ah, never mind. Could you help me out by getting some blankets and a pillow?"

"Of course, Friend!" Starfire replied, always eager to help someone out. When she vanished into the tower I turned to Azira.

"Azira, you don't mind sleeping on the couch, do ya?"

"A blanket outside on the rocks would be okay with me at this point!" Azira joked with a large grin.

Looking at her I couldn't keep from wondering if that was how Raven would smile if her powers didn't restrict her from being over-emotional. I still loved Raven's smaller version, nothing could change that. But I would give anything to see her overjoyed like Azira was.

* * *

~Azira's POV~

By the look on Beast Boy's face it was clear that he was thinking of Raven. His two jade orbs glazed over in a dreamy state and softened in the corners. His lips curled into a small smile.

"Uh, Beast Boy?" I lean towards him trying to get his attention.

His eyes doubled in size, his content smile faded, and he looked surprised to see anyone else was around him.

"Oh, yea, right!" He perked up, "Just follow me!"

He led me down a hallway slightly furnished by couches and chairs along the narrow path. At the end was a short stair case. We climbed the steps slowly and come up to an elevator. There were a total of eight floors. Beast boy explained to me what each one contained to make the time pass.

"First floor is the lobby, where you will be staying. It's got a huge T.V and an awesome game system, so you won't get bored." He laughed, a bit forced.

"Second is the infirmary. I hate going there, it gives me the creeps. With any luck you won't have to visit the place while you stay here. Then there is the crime lab, evidence room, the gym-" he paused noticing how intrigued I had become at the word 'gym'.

"Have you never been to a gym before?" he asked.

"Where I come from we aren't really allowed to fight, so we see no need for physical practices." I explained.

"Oh," he chewed his lip momentarily before continuing, "Where are you from?"

"Uh…" the bell to the elevator dinged twice before sliding open. _'Saved by the bell,' _I smirked at the thought. We exited the elevator and walked down the hall side by side.

"What were the other floors?" I asked before he could repeat his question.

"Oh, yea! The gym was the last floor I told you, right? Okay, well after that is the danger room, the monitor room and lastly, the Titans' rooms. The bathroom is up there, too. I'll show you where it is later."

He finished just as the doors to the lobby opened. The room was large and was half dining room/kitchen, half living room. The entire tower seemed to have a color scheme of yellows, reds, and blacks. Everything looked really comfortable, but that could have just been the jet lag talking.

Starfire rushed in with a blanket folded over her arms and a pillow between the blanket and her chest, hugging it like a stuffed animal.

"I have brought you the necessities of a good night's slumber!" she cheered.

A huge, embarrassing yawn escaped my lips and I immediately felt a heat rushing to my cheeks. Beast Boy and Starfire gently laughed and the girl offered me the blanket and pillow which I graciously accepted.

"We shall let you rest." She pushed herself off the ground and floated to the doors.

Beast Boy said good night and was about to follow her but I stopped him.

"Thank you for your kindness," I arched my back in a slight bow, "It is most appreciated."

"It's no problem. Really." He brought his hand up to the back of his neck and laughed awkwardly. He then turned and left me in the lobby alone.

Robin and Starfire were talking excitedly at the table anxiously awaiting the breakfast Cyborg was preparing while Beast Boy observed the array of murdered animals on the skillet. For them it seemed like just another day at the tower.

'They must do this every morning, like a routine…' I thought to myself as the scent of meat made my stomach churn. How anyone could eat that stuff was beyond my understanding.

"Yo, Azira." Cyborg called and immediately received my attention. "Any requests?"

I stared at the assortments of eggs, bacon, and ham. I was about to decline when I saw the waffle maker in the background. Cyborg took notice and started to whip up some batter.

"One batch o' waffles comin' right up!" he exclaimed.

I smiled shyly and joined the others at the table. It was certainly awkward being the third wheel, and it didn't help that their emotions were washing over me like a tidal wave. I sipped at the hot tea and tried to distract myself by the delicious aroma of waffles filling the air.

"So, Azira," Robin asked, "where are you visiting from?"

If I would have been a half-demon like my mother I would have surely broken every window in the tower with my nerves. My stolid expression remained on my face even though inside my heart was pounding against my chest.

"Oh, I was born in Gotham City."

'Not a complete lie…' I comforted myself as I chewed my bottom lip.

"Really?" he asked, "How's Batman doing?"

"He is well." This time it's a complete lie. 'He's dead in my time…'

"Well, that's good." We fell silent for a while as the breakfast foods were distributed amongst us. Starfire's perky voice suddenly sounded when we all brought our choices to our plates.

"Friends! Should we not celebrate the joining of a new companion by journeying to the mall of shopping? Or perhaps the pier?" her large grin nearly split her head horizontally in half.

"That's up to Azira. She might be tired after her trip here." Robin placed his hand onto Starfire's.

Both of those places were on the map my mother made me. It would be nice to 'journey' there with friends.

"Sounds interesting." I say with a smirk, "Why not?"

The answer sent Starfire soaring into the air shouting, "Oh, joyous day!"

The guys laughed and joined the excitement while I ate my waffles with a contented smile on my lips.


	2. Agreements

~Jump City Mall~

~Azira's POV~

The sun shined brightly as fallen leaves danced in the crisp autumn air. Young couples and families crowded the fountain in front of the mall. The moment we entered the large double doors, Starfire latched onto Robin's arm and tugged him towards the nearest photo booth, leaving Cyborg, Beast Boy, and I together without a destination.

"I dunno about you two, but there's a sale going on at Best Buy that I cain't miss! Catch y'all later!" Cyborg vanished quickly inside the brightly lit store with millions of electronics aligned perfectly on twelve-foot shelves.

"Well…is there anything you're interested in checking out while we're here?" Beast Boy asked.

"Not really," I answered. "Honestly, the only reason I came was because Starfire seemed extremely excited about this place. I just wanted to see what all the hype was about."

"Have you never been to a mall before?" Beast Boy appeared almost appalled at this revelation.

"No, this is a first for me." I admitted.

"But I thought you lived in Gotham?" He persisted

"I said I was born in Gotham, not that I currently resided there." I quickly formatted an excuse.

"So where did you live?"

"It's a really small town just outside of Gotham called…Oh, my gosh!" I suddenly exclaimed, "What is that?"

Beast Boy followed my gaze to a small gothic boutique with charms, spell books, and wands decorating the velvet blanket set in the windows.

Before Beast Boy could think of a response I was already to the entrance of the store, pulling back the golden dragon handles and waltzing inside. The walls were painted a deep violet and had black shelves aligned with stacks of corsets, blouses, skirts, and stockings to the left.

To the right there were books of spells and charms, both for warding off bad spirits and for creating them to scare enemies.

A gold necklace was on a rather extravagant display inside of a protective glass shield. The necklace showed two detailed wings holding a brilliant emerald sphere and from the jewel fell a small raven in a triumphant pose, it's beak pointed proudly at the gem so that it rested on the sharp tip.

"Breathtaking, isn't it?" a deep voice commented from behind me. I jumped slightly at the intrusion, however recollected my composure realizing I was in a public setting. I turned to face the cause of my disturbance.

It was a young boy around my age with pitch-black spiky hair and alluring jade eyes. He was fair skinned and seemed very confident. I would have been worried had he not been wearing a nametag, showing that he was an employee in the shop.

"Yes, it's lovely," I agreed. "A necklace like that must have quite a history."

"As a matter of fact, it d-"

The bell to the shop alerted him of another costumer, and the gloved hand that appeared soon after reminded me that I hadn't come alone.

"I better go. This is a nice shop you have here, uh, Jake. I'll be returning sometime soon."

The minute Beast Boy appeared through the doors I jerked him out of the darkness and into the blinding lights.

"I take it you didn't like the store?" he laughed.

"I liked it just fine." I said, a little too snippy. His happy-go-luckily smirk vanished as he wedged his hands into his pockets and continued walking.

I immediately chided myself for being so brash. He wasn't inquiring of my personal life as he had been earlier, and he did after all deserve to know a little bit about me, seeing as I was staying with him and the other Titans.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude," I apologized. "I just didn't think it was a place you'd like to go, so I figured I could go back another day on my own."

"If you liked the place we could have stayed for a while, I wouldn't have minded." He looked as though he were going to say more but thought better of it.

"Well, how about we visit somewhere you'd like to go first." I complied.

After we hit a few gaming stores and a comic book shop we decided to take a break and head for the food court. The other Titans apparently were on the same wavelength, for they were all gathered at a single table in the far left of the court.

Beast Boy and I ordered tofu chow mien, mine with extra cashews and sat down with the group.

While Starfire continuously told stories of the different stores she and Robin had visited, I started zoning out and became enthused by the different choices of food around the table.

Cyborg had the grandest cheeseburger I had ever seen in his clutches and thick, salty potato wedges with a massive cup filled with coke. Starfire had discarded a strange concoction of what appeared to be mustard soup. I shuddered as she halted her story to scoop in a mouthful. Robin had a large sirloin steak, medium-well, that would have been extremely appealing, had I not been a vegetarian.

"And that's how the globnork finally came around to giving us a discount!" Starfire laughed, concluding her story.

The entire group gave a wholehearted laugh, while I simply smiled and let out an uncomfortable chuckle. _'I have no idea what just happened…'_ I thought helplessly lost.

The napkin holder began to quiver at slightly, and I instantaneously bit my tongue to cease my emotions. After what felt like ages, the movement finally ended. I glanced around the table. Everyone was still smiling and laughing at the story. No one noticed the bizarre happenings unfolding.

_'It would be better for me to continue this journey on my own,' _as I looked at their grinning faces, a wave longing washed over me, _'wouldn't it?'_

After lunch we piled into the T-car and headed back to the tower. I did not want to leave them, but it would be better for them if I left. I could bring back painful memories if I tried digging into their past. I could hurt them if I uncovered a secret they didn't want to know about my mother. What if I hurt Beast Boy? He obviously had cared about Raven. What if she had fallen out of love with him or worse, she had cheated on him? I couldn't risk hurting the one person that seemed to share the same confusion I had about my mom. We were one of the same. At least if I found something, it would not affect me as much as it would him. He knew her. He had loved her-still loves her. I knew nothing beyond the fact she had given birth to me. She had left before I could truly understand what 'mom' even meant. Yes, it would be best for me to continue on by myself.

* * *

"What a glorious day!" Starfire cheered once we all gathered on the long, curved black sofa-or bed, as I knew it-in the center of the lobby. I had left my black backpack near the seat, and decided it would be as good a time as ever to let them know about my decision. I picked up my bag and hoisted it on my shoulders.

"I'd really like to thank you guys for letting me bunk here last night," I began. "but there's still a lot of ground I have to cover so I can get back home."

"You are…leaving?" Starfire's expression was right up there with a wounded puppy and kitten mewing for its mother.

"I'm afraid I have to." I avoided eye contact at all cost.

"But why?" Beast Boy asked.

"It's just something I have to do." I was beginning to lose my nerve when Robin spoke up.

"Well, if it's that important to you, the least we can do is get you some things for the road. Cyborg, will you take her to the infirmary and get her a first aid kit and anything else you find necessary?"

"Uh, sure thing, Rob." Cyborg obeyed and guided me up to the second floor.

* * *

The distance wasn't far, but the trip felt excruciatingly long. The staircase was endless, and though I could fly, I didn't want to chance Cyborg finding out about my secret abilities.

"Wanna talk about it?" he suddenly asked.

"Um…talk about what, exactly?" I mumbled.

"Why ya really wanna leave. There's something you're not telling us. I don't wanna pry or anything, but sometimes it helps to talk things over with someone."

"If you don't want to pry then don't." I feigned offensiveness, despite the appreciation I felt at having someone having my back. I couldn't risk having any more reasons to stay. We entered the infirmary and began packing a few things.

"I didn't mean to offend ya." He muttered before dropping the subject momentarily. Less than a minute passed before he started up again, this time with a different approach.

"This is the happiest he's been, ya know." He added the first aid kit.

"The happiest who has been?" I leaned against the examination bed.

"Beasty Boy. He's been kinda gloomy what with Raven leaving and all." He put in a couple of hand warmers.

"What does that have to do with me."

"Well, since you've shown up, he's been more like himself. I think it's because you remind him of her."

"But I can't _be_ her, Cyborg." I seethed.

"But you could help him forgive himself." His tone dared me to argue with him, try and come up with a reason to ignore his best friend's cries for help. But I couldn't. I didn't want to hurt any of them, but I would be hurting them by leaving just as well as staying.

"Listen," he continued, "just stay for dinner. We will see what happens from there." He held my pack away from me and instead put his robotic hand out to finalize an agreement.

"…Fine." I sighed, shaking his hand. He tossed me the bag before we walked back down the stairs to join the others.


	3. Dinner Disaster

~Titans Tower~

~Azira's POV~

"Did you get her everything?" Robin asked the moment we entered the lobby.

"Yea, and I managed to talk her into staying at least until dinner." Cyborg boasted.

"Really?!" Starfire gasped, floating over to my side, "This is wonderful! We can do the painting of each others nails, and the braiding of each others hair, or perhaps we could-"

"Whoa, Star, she only said she'd stay for dinner," Robin grabbed the Tamaranian's hand and gently guided her back down to his side. She pouted slightly before accepting this and returning to her usual peppy state.

"Why don't we go to the Pizza Parlor?" Beast Boy offered. "It's the best place in town."

"What're we standin' around here for?!" Cyborg exclaimed, followed by the excited cheers of his companions. He grabbed his friends and stampeded out the automatic doors. I had never seen anyone so excited for pizza, and now I was seeing an entire group completely ecstatic over the thought.

At least I would be benefiting from the trip. The Pizza Parlor was one of the places I needed to visit on my mom's list. If I didn't get working on this map seriously, I could be stuck in this time period for way longer than planned. I pulled the crumpled paper out of my pocket and studied the highlighted routes. My mother had obviously chosen places important to her, but for the life of me I could not understand why they would be of value to me.

Suddenly the automatic doors shot open, startling me into crumpling the paper in my fists.

"Come on, Dude!" Beast Boy called. "You don't wanna keep Cy waiting. Trust me. The man doesn't have a patient bone in his body, 'specially when it comes to pizza."

"Alright, I'm coming." I laughed and shoved the paper in my pocket seemingly unnoticed by his mirthful eyes.

"Meat Lover's is the way to go, don't y'all agree?" Cyborg set his menu down and observed the group expectantly.

"No way, Dude!" Beast Boy exclaimed fervently, "I've been half those animals!"

He morphed into a pig and gave a robust snort as though to prove his point.

"Well, we aren't gonna get your rinky dinky ol' stanky veggie pizza," he mocked.

"It's not rink…stink…dink…it's good pizza!" Beast Boy sputtered back. They glared at each other silently, daring the other to continue the discussion.

"Um, why don't we just get the Mega Deal?" I intervened, "It comes with two medium pizzas, of any choice, plus breadsticks."

Everyone stared at me blankly as though they had forgotten I was even at the table. Based on the wave of mixed emotions I could tell I had somehow reminded them of their missing companion.

"That's a wonderful idea!" Starfire piped, "I'll go order it now!"

Starfire was gone for only a short while, however the remaining company I had managed to study me as though I were a biology project. Their scrutinizing gazes were, unsettling to say the least. The strongest reaction I could sense was that of abstraction, distinctly to my left. The changeling twiddled his thumbs as millions of visions flicked across his glossy eyes. Those questions written so obviously upon his face, the abandonment he endured because of Raven, became increasingly clear to me. I saw every conflict within myself mirrored through him. I longed to contribute some sort of comforting statement, anything to bring them all out of unrest, though I knew it would be an empty notion. I couldn't fix them. I wouldn't be able to amend the bonds my mother before me had broken.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Boys and Girls! Mumbos of ALL ages!" a disastrous renegading voice sounded over an unseen loudspeaker. Robin leapt out of his seat to gain perspective of the owner of such a dreadful vocalization.

Behind him was a lanky man with pale blue skin and an atrociously long nose. He wore a black and white pointed mask and a top hat with a grey ribbon along the bottom. His long reversible black cape with red felt inlay fell just past his knees. The snow-white whiskers upon his chin twitched as he formed a cunning grin.

"Why if it isn't my favorite viewers, the Teen Titans!" His obnoxious laughter filled the air.

"Mumbo!" Beast Boy shouted, "how'd you escape from jail?!"

"Oh, my dear boy, don't you know a magician never reveals his secrets," the villain retorted.

"What're we all standin around for? Let's get this show on the road!" Cyborg shouted.

"Titans Go!" Robin commanded, pointing his accusing staff at Mumbo.

I watched in awe as he maneuvered expertly and executed a perfect hit on his enemy's chest, forcing him to drop his wand.

"Ah, ah, ah! Not so fast." Mumbo tested him using magic words to replenish his missing utensil and transformed Robin's weapon into daisies. Mumbo managed to side swipe him. Before he tumbled over, Starfire managed to sweep in and get hold his arms, carrying him over the scene.

Beast Boy morphed into a ram and head-butted Mumbo's back as Robin dropped explosive discs to further discombobulate the enemy. For a moment it seemed as though they were gaining way over him, but within a few minutes he was back on his feet, shouting spells and incantations to defend himself.

"Not much you can do without that little sorceress around, now is there?" he mocked them.

As the scene unfolded before me, it became increasingly clear they would not be able to hold him off for much longer. Mumbo's hat had already inhaled ten garbage cans, two discarded pizza trays, and nearly a dozen chairs. Despite the old man's appearance, he wasn't going to give up without putting up a good fight.

Without further hesitation, I used my dark energy to manifest illusions of five wildcats. They stalked closer to the unsuspecting criminal. Their dark haunches shifted as they encircled him. A dumbstruck Mumbo suddenly found himself swatting at one hallucination after another. I took his momentary lapse of judgment to alter my exterior in order to file in as one of my shadow-cats. I saw an opening as he swatted at the alleged final panther-like creature. I crouched down on my forepaws and, keeping my hind legs braced until the last possible moment, pounced onto his unsuspecting silhouette.

He aimlessly kicked and punched in worthless attempts to free himself from my clutches. Just as a blow struck my muzzle I sunk my fangs into what little muscle he had in his legs. He squirmed and squealed in agony. After a couple minutes he showed less desire to unhinge himself from my fangs, and instead remained motionless until the teen heroes recuperated from their shock. Robin lurched forward to apprehend Mumbo, and soon the police were surrounding the perimeter.

"Dude, why didn't you say you could do all…that!"

"Um…" I blushed. "I guess it never occurred to me."

Their perplexed expressions varied from stunned to terrified. But none of them could compare to that of Robin's. His face twisted into a scowl. If his eyes had been showing, I was certain they would bore holes the size of Texas into my very soul. 

Once we returned to the tower, the team led me to a vacant room just a hidden door away from the infirmary. Robin's firm grasp on my shoulder halted the flow of circulation in my right arm as he pushed me into an icy metal chair. Cyborg pressed a button on the elaborate display on his high-tech super computer. Instantaneously cuffs materialized, confining my wrists.

"Why didn't you tell us you were capable of yielding black magic?" he demanded to know.

"I didn't think it mattered," I said, trying to remain calm so as to not increase my heart rate during the lie detector test.

"Didn't you think it would have been useful to know the full extent of your abilities?" he questioned.

"I was originally only staying for the night." I reminded him.

"That's not the point!" his voice rose alarmingly, "How could you resemble Raven so much _and _even have her powers?!"

I paused momentarily and noticed Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy remaining silent as the interrogation lugged on. I took a slow, deep breath. I understood how important Raven was to all of them. It was only natural they would assume the worse. The wound was still fresh on their hearts and their minds were merely formulating possible answers for the inexplicable.

"Raven and I are both from Azarath. We trained together under the instruction of Azar. We were never close. We had never been anything beyond schoolyard acquaintances."

The polygraph passed my hasty lie as the truth. I couldn't help but smirk a little at my knack for on-the-spot deceit.

"But Raven's power's were inherited by the demonic part of her," he prodded.

My smirk vanished in just one sentence. Nibbling on my lip, I quickly formulated some kind, any kind of lie. In an instant I miraculously found one.

"Raven's lineage did give her a bit of an advantage," I began, "but the dark magic is very similar to the Azarathian talents. That is why Azar was able to teach Raven control so well."

_'Dear Azar, please,' _I prayed, _'please, don't let any of them know anything about Azarath…'_

Although the first lie had been small, if anyone of them had been to Azarath they would have known I had lied to them through my teeth. The people of Azarath taught flawless control due to their strict laws of Pacifism. They understood the meaning of restraint to its fullest. The only one capable of magical talents is Azar herself, and she only used them to teach my mother and me.

"Very well," Robin growled.

"So, am I free to go?" I asked, a slight edge in my tone.

Robin clenched his fists before ordering Cyborg to release me. Instead of waiting for him to remove the cuffs, I phased through the metal straps with ease.

"I could have left anytime I chose," I mumbled, half-apologetically. "I'm not usually this careless with my powers. I try to keep them hidden as much as possible."

As I walked out the door, Beast Boy trailed after, followed by Cyborg, Starfire, and finally Robin. We split up in the lobby. Cyborg was headed for the garage, while Robin and Starfire went for some training in the gym. I wasn't sure if they would actually train together, or if Starfire was just going to make sure he didn't kill himself during a brutal work out. Or if their would be working out at all…I shuttered at the thought and continued the eventful chore that was resting on the couch.

Beast Boy was hovering around the area, avoiding me only because he did not know how to approach the subject. I could sense his unease clearly. His pacing behind the couch was starting to push me to a breaking point. Around the fifth sigh I decided to be merciful and let him off the hook.

"Beast Boy, I understand that you are upset and confused, and quite frankly your emotions are making my stomach hurt, but I don't expect you to try smoothing things over. I kept a huge secret from all of you. Honestly, I wouldn't be able to justify myself anyway."

Luckily my behavior forced the message to come across. I heard him shuffle uncomfortable behind me before saying, "If you want to try explaining yourself, you know where to find me."

Within moments he vanished behind the broad metal doors.

In his absence a nauseating sense overwhelmed me. I longed to be back with the monks in Azarath. Tears stung my eyes, cascading down my cheeks. It literally hurt to breath. The world was closing around me. I had never felt so abandoned as I did now. I stretched out on the rough leather seats.

Weighed down from the crying, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

Whew, I finally managed to post this chapter! The next chapter shouldn't take as long to be uploaded :3 Thanks for sticking with me for so long! Please Read & Review (:


	4. The Dream

_The cloudless sky shined a brilliant gold around the city of Azarath. People strolled down the streets in white hooded robes that scrapped the yellow stones they walked upon. They carried themselves with dignity and profound elegance. The extravagant buildings of their home were made either of deep bronze or light gold hues. The city glowed with breathtaking radiance of the purest sorts._

_Suddenly in the distance a loud crash came from inside a tall building marked by a large dove with its wings spread towards the east and the west. All halted and shifted their gaze knowingly at High Priestess Azar's residence. _

_The room where the Priestess stood was in ruins. Books and ancient scrolls scattered across the ground. A slender girl with long violet hair stood in the center of the chaos. She lowered her forest green eyes shamefully towards the ground. That girl, the cause of such havoc, was me._

_"Azira!" Azar scolded, "You must learn to control yourself. Your powers are fueled by emotions, as your mother's were. If you don't learn, you could-"_

_"Destroy all of Azarath, I know." I concluded hoping to avoid yet another lecture. I folded my hands together and bowed to her. "I will try harder."_

_The woman stared down at me and affectionately touched my shoulder. She used her other hand to lift my chin in order to examine me._

_"You are looking more and more like your mother every day." The High Priestess smiled kindly before shaking away the bittersweet memories could overcome her. She flicked her wrist towards me in dismissal. "You are free to take your leave, Azira."_

_I hesitantly backed away from the older woman. Her wavy black hair was being overrun by streaks of grey and the edges of her brown eyes wrinkled at the corners with age. My empathetic powers could sense that she was hurt and needed comforting; however I was unsure how I could fill the void my mother had left behind in her absence._

_When she had left us I was only five years old. I could not deny that I was starting to forget about her and could only recall a small fragment of a memory._

_It was when I had been awoken by a nightmare, not the first and definitely not the last. My mother had entered the room, her indigo eyes filled with concern for her daughter. She lifted me as though I were made of fragile glass. Her arms had been soft and warm. Her voice was raspy but the tone was filled with love and affection. She began singing a lullaby that I could not remember, but I knew that her singing wasn't anything like her voice. The words had flowed from her soft lips like honey through my ears._

_The scene faded leaving me feeling empty._

_"Yes, of course, High Priestess. Thank you." I whispered. _

_As I was leaving a dark green book with gold foil at the spine caught my attention. Azar had allowed me to borrow books from her study before. I could not see how this one would different. Reassured by this reasoning I bent down and grasped the book in my pale hands. With the book clutched against my chest, I walked down the never-ending halls to my room._

_Once in the privacy of my room, I sprawled across the comfy bed and opened the book. The first page was blank, so I delicately flipped to the second. I was surprised to see that it had a hand-written dedication note._

_"For my darling Azira, may this guide you to your roots." I read out loud. My eyes narrowed in attempts to evaluate the authenticity of the note. _

_'So this is a present from my mother.' I thought, unsure how I should feel about the situation. 'How could Azar have kept this from me?'_

_An overwhelming sense of betrayal stirred within me, but instead of confronting Azar I decided it would be better to read further into the book. I turned the page yet again and found a sketched out map of Jump City. There were a few buildings that had been drawn in detail along with a number in the left corner. The key had each building listed in the order in which they were to be seen. _

_Intrigued, I read more into the book until I stumbled upon a few photos. One was of a tall, slender girl in her late teens beside a muscular boy in a mask about the same age. The girl had dark red hair and tanned skin with an orange glow. She was quite beautiful with her large emerald eyes. The boy had his arm around her affectionately, indicating the two were involved romantically._

_Another photo had a moderately toned green boy with a mischievous grin flashing a peace sign at the camera. Beside him was a half-machine half-man holding robotic bunny ears behind the unsuspecting purple clad boy. _

_Lastly, there was a photo of the four previously pictured at the park along with another girl. She had pale skin and violet hair with indigo eyes. The green boy had has arm over her shoulders with a stupidly wide grin. Beside him stood the metal man with yet another bunny ears pose behind his friend. The green-eyed beauty was flashing an innocent smile with her masked boyfriend's arm around her waist. _

_The gothic girl didn't look nearly as ecstatic as the others in her company, but she looked…content. I began to absentmindedly stroking my matching violet locks. My heart couldn't help but sink as I looked at my mother. My hair was much longer than her angular bob, but there was no denying the resemblance we shared._

_It was while I held that photo in my hands that I came to the decision that could change my life forever._

_The next scene was that of one of my lessons, specifically when I was explaining my intentions to Azar. I was completely taken off guard that my mentor had anticipated as much._

_"You are very much like your mother, you see." Azar said, "Once I noticed the book was missing, I knew your mind would be set. I had intended to give it to you on your sixteenth birthday. I suppose you couldn't wait another month, though, could you?"_

_The priestess lowered her gaze before offering me a small smile. She was upset that she hadn't been able to properly give the present to me, and even more so that I would be leaving so soon._

_"I am sorry, Azar, but this is something that I must do." I looked away, suddenly feeling bashful. "There is one more thing, though." _

_"Yes, anything dear child!" she laughed._

_"I do not wish to travel to present day Earth." I leaned closer to my mentor, "I would like your permission to visit Earth when my mother was my age…I want to visit Earth sixteen years ago."_

_Azar at me questioningly. She shook her head, nearly making her hood fall off her head._

_"Azira, you could not possibly understand what problems you could create should you reveal yourself to the wrong person. You could rewrite all of time itself!"_

_"I understand all of that!" the shelves shook lightly at my unsuppressed emotions. I took a deep cleansing breath and the tremors stopped. "I understand, but it is something I must do. With or without your help."_

_The High Priestess sighed, knowing when I fixated my mind on something it was beyond help. She scanned the shelves for one of her spell books, and soon returned with a white journal with silver designs along the cover and a jar of glimmering white powder._

_"Page 142." She instructed, "Pour the powder in a circular formation and say the words written on the page."_

_I nodded while unscrewing the lid of the glass jar._

_"But first," I stopped my tedious task to focus on Azar, "you might want to change into something that would blend in with the earthlings."_

_I glanced down at my form fitting long-sleeved mini dress, jeweled belt, and green boots. Feeling embarrassed, I pulled my hooded green cloak over my choice attire._

_"I suppose you are correct." I rushed towards my room to pack a carry-on with a few necessities. Even in my hurry I could hear my teacher's soft laugh from inside her study._

_Half an hour later, I returned to the room to find Azar still seated where I had left her. She evaluated my new outfit and lifted her eyebrow in curiosity. I stood before her in a black vest with an emerald green tank top underneath, black jeans, and green boots with black straps. Azar's nose scrunched up slightly at the new look._

_"I was going for the troubled teen look." I said in a deadpan voice, folding my arms across my chest defiantly._

_She smiled at my comment saying, "You look perfect."_

_A grin of my own appeared as I hoisted my black backpack onto my shoulders. Azar had already poured the powder onto the ground and had the book open to page 142._

_Her features were sullen, though her grin hid it well. I gave her a strong hug. We remained that way for a few moments, neither of us quite ready to say goodbye._

_"I must be going," I heard my voice crack and mentally cursed myself for allowing my emotions to slip. I sat down in the center of the circle and began reading the words on the page in the Azarathian language: __**Azarath Metrion Zinthos...Carazon Rakashas Enderez...Vaserix Endrien Ignis...Ignis, Ignis!**_

_The powder began to vibrate before glowing bright blue._

_"Yes, indeed." Azar's eyes shined with tears as the powder emitted a beam of light that encased me. I rose from my cross-legged position and waved goodbye to her._

_Within seconds, I was soaring through the currents of light into the unknown._

* * *

The unpleasant feeling of falling had awoken me with a start. I remembered the dream as vividly as the day I had experienced it. Tears moistened my cheeks, making violent strands cling to my face. I quickly rubbed them away and freshened up before the team was up and about.


	5. Second Chances

Alright you guys! Sorry it took so long for me to upload the newest chapter, but it's been a fairly hectic break. I added a BBxRae segment to this one, in order to appease everyone. It might be a while before we really "find" Raven, but I will be adding more and more flashbacks of her relationship with BB as we near that fateful day in which we truly find her! Now, without further ado, I give you the next chapter in this ongoing search for Raven!

* * *

"Come at me, Barf-Brain!" Gizmo taunted. The small child with high-tech gear strapped on his back leapt from building to building provoking us by hurling explosive trinkets in our direction.

Beast Boy transformed into a giant pterodactyl and chased the spider-boy down using his massive beak and razor sharp teeth to pick at him like a bird desperately chasing down the worm.

Starfire was in hand-to-hand combat with Jinx, a young girl with grey skin and challenging pink cat-like eyes. Starfire jump-kicked and Jinx narrowly escaped a harsh blow to the jaw. The pink-haired girl executed a perfect back handspring then conjured up amethyst rings and launched them in the water of Jump City Lake. The water bounded out it's molding and encased Starfire.

"Looks like your luck is running out." Jinx smirked.

"Not quite!" Robin used his staff to knock Jinx off balance.

Mammoth ferociously roared in defiance as he noticed his teammate taking a fall. Cyborg blasted him, shouting a triumphant "BOOYAH!" as Mammoth stumbled.

Jinx recovered swiftly. She sent her dark magic soaring towards the surrounding rocky ledge. Robin was too busy aiding Starfire to notice the rocks hurdling towards them.

Without a second thought, my hands flew up, manifesting a black force field around Robin and Starfire just before the boulders could crush them. Cyborg and Beast Boy staggered towards their friends and attempted to lighten the load off of me. Once they were cleared from every rock down to the final pebble, I backtracked. My muscles tensed. Each molecule of my body tightened, constricting down into the shape of a shadow-cat.

"Oh, look, guys." Jinx cooed, "It's a little pussycat."

"Haha!" Gizmo obnoxiously laughed, "Barf-smelling fur ball!"

"Soft kitty!" Mammoth extended his hand to stroke my onyx pelt.

With my back turned to the Titans to ensure they wouldn't notice, I flashed four demonic eyes at the trio. Their faces paled, Jinx's more so, before they high-tailed it out of there. I growled at their retreating figures before slipping into my original form.

"Dude, what did you do to them?" Beast Boy joined me in watching them run away like wounded puppies with their tails between their legs.

"Who cares!" Cyborg cheered, "It worked!"

"Oh, marvelous! You did the kicking of the butt!" Starfire clapped before embracing me.

"Nice job, Azira." Robin gave me a smile that, however small, radiated with pride.

* * *

~Titan's Tower~

~Beast Boy's POV~

"You guys sure we can trust her?" I asked in a hushed voice. Azira was seated in the lobby, so logically she couldn't here us in the halls, but then I was never one to listen to logic.

"C'mon, man." Cyborg spoke up, "I thought you'd be the first to accept her. You're always about second chances."  
"Yeah, and look where it's gotten me." I muttered.

"Robin and I have already prepared a room for her." Starfire chirped, either not hearing my last comment or choosing to ignore it.

"She has proven herself to be a valuable ally, and after today, she has definitely shown she is concerned for our wellbeing. If she wanted us dead she would have let the rocks crush Starfire and me."

"…Fine." I begrudgingly complied.

"Then why don't we show her to her room."

* * *

"Can I take these things off yet?" Azira asked for the umpteenth time.

We were just now scaling the elevator and her usual scent was tainted with worry. She twiddled with her thumbs fretfully, a gesture I knew all too well. The elevator came to a stop. We filed out and guided Azira out into the halls. We passed my room, then Raven's, until we reached a nameless door.

As the doors glided open, Cyborg instructed Azira to remove her blindfold. Her eyes doubled in size as she took in every detail before her.

There was a large canopy bed with a metal frame fashioned to look like a thin tree. It had cherry blossoms sprouting from the ends with a chandelier of similar makings in the center. The bedspread had tiny blossoms etched onto it with dark green and beige-colored pillows to match the woodsy theme. The room itself was painted a dark emerald green and had designs of the cherry blossom petals scattered about. At the window there was a built in seat for reading with a large selection of books on either side of the seat.

They really managed to exemplify Azira's essence. The ambience was relaxed, peaceful even. Azira's anxiety dissolved, replaced by delight. She inspected the area with intense interest.

One by one the others left, until only she and I were left.

Honestly, I wasn't sure how I felt about her staying with us. Had we known about her powers sooner and invited her to join the team a couple days ago, I would have gladly accepted her. But she betrayed our trust. Even if she is talented in combat, and even though she did protect Robin and Starfire, it couldn't be ignored.

"Azira," I got her attention.

"Yes?" She asked. When I didn't answer right away, she turned about gracefully. Her mouth was straight, expression completely stolid.

"Have you figured out how to explain yourself?"

Her pupils dilated if only for a second. She reached behind her neck, then, as if she realized she didn't have it, awkwardly stretched with her elbows raised to the ceiling.

"Um, not…not exactly." She averted her gaze and skimmed the bookshelf. As her fingers slipped around the binding of a thick blue book, she asked, "Even if I tried to, would you truly accept it? You _are _questioning my honorability, after all."

My face warmed at the realization. I hadn't even taken that into consideration. How could I believe her even if she attempted to validate her actions?

"Are you familiar with the Intergalactic Vegan Battle?" Azira asked after a while.  
"Um...Is that, like vegans fighting for rights in space?"

I tried to imagine of a group of angry vegans cramming into a giant rocket designed to look like a carrot and boycotting some sort of alien pagan holiday in which they burned animals to strange gods. It seemed a bit unrealistic if you asked me.

"What?" Azira looked at me in confusion before laughing, "No! VA-gan, not VEE-gan. I can see why you would mix them up though. A Vega is a star."

I nodded for her to continue.

"You see, thousands of years ago, there was a Vegan system. It consisted of eight stars capable of sustaining life. One of the stars, Okaara, branched off to form Tamaran. Before this could happen, the dominating star, Citaad, had to grant permission. In order for Okaara to separate, Citaad planned to host a battle to determine if Okaara's chosen few were ready to take on and thrive on a star of their own. However, Okaara's King, X'haldr, convince the Citadel to merely watch over their chosen and decide whether or not they were prepared.

By doing this, the stars avoided creating definite war and disturbing the entire system."

"So you're saying I should just wait and see if you are a threat or not?"

"Actually, I was only telling you the story because this book is centered around the battle all those years ago," she raised the blue book for me to see, "but take it as you will."

"Oh," I blushed.

"It really is a good book," Azira handed me it to me, "you should read it."

* * *

After Azira's and my mini book club session ended I came to the decision I would in fact give her another chance. It wasn't like she intentionally hid her powers from us. She just didn't mention it. And she didn't hesitate to help us out the moment she knew we needed help against Mumbo.

I lay on my stomach, sinking slowly into the warmth of my top bunk mattress. Looking down I saw the picture of Raven and I at the park. I couldn't keep the smile from appearing on my face. I stretched down and removed the picture from my desk.

I remembered that day perfectly. It was a day that could be considered very special in any couples relationship.

_"Come, Rae," I said, "It's just one picture."_

_Her pale skin illuminated with a pink tint as I grabbed her hand, tugging her against me._

_"…Fine." She mumbled._

_She seated herself down in front of a large oak tree and I joined her without hesitation. I put my arm over her shoulders. She leaned into me, resting her head on my chest. I took a minute to take in the sweet scent of lavender her lilac locks were emitting._

_"Are you going to take the picture or not," She inquired. Her tone was harsh, though her flushed cheeks told another story._

_The moment I took the picture she shifted out of my hold and quickly shuffled to her feet. She pulled her hood over her head, attempted to hide the now full-blown rosiness. I couldn't help but chuckle as she stood with her arms folded across her chest and a serious expression on her face. She looked like a teenager that had been called out on an embarrassing moment of her childhood._

_I snaked my arms around her waist. She pressed her back against me then sought out my hands with hers. She let her guard down in that moment. And at that instant, I saw an opportunity I couldn't miss._

_In a swift movement, I freed my hands and removed her hood. She turned around quickly and I saw my opening. I pulled her in, bent down to her eyelevel then finally found her lips with mine._

_I felt her body tense in my arms. I was certain she would punch me when it was over, which I had suspected wouldn't be but two seconds long._

_What surprised me the most was she had actually begun kissing back._

"It's your fault I give people so many second chances, ya know." I said to the photograph.

She simply stared back at me, small smile playing upon her soft lips.

* * *

Well that took me a WHOLE lot longer than I thought it would! Man, writers block has been killing me lately! Anyone have any remedies?...No one? Oh, okay /.\

Any who! Thanks so much for reading! (: Please don't hesitate to write a review, give me some constructive criticism, or to even shoot me a private message!

=^.^=


	6. Only Human

Definitely a shorter chapter, but I needed to update soon, and it's getting really late. I hope you'll like it, I added a couple flashback type scenarios to enhance the amount of 'BBxRae' in the story (: Enjoy!

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~Titan's Tower~

~Azira's POV~

Once every titan had left my room-alright, that still sounds weird-I relaxed a bit. My emotions were jumping to get out, but I restrained them in order to prevent exploding everyone. Instead I decided it might be good to familiarize myself with the area. They had me blindfolded the first time I came up here, and I didn't feel like being stuck in an endless labyrinth.

I wandered down the hall a short ways and came to my mother's door. I stared at the name engraved on the entrance. It seemed so foreign it was almost unbelievable. I had not heard anyone speak her name back on Azarath. Azar rarely mentioned her name, and when she did, devastation flashed across her eyes. Because of this she was simply known as 'mother'.

'Your mother'.

'Her mother'.

I can recall a time when a person had called her '_Its_ mother', as if I was of a lower species. Unacknowledged by my father and discarded by my mother, sometimes it was hard not to believe them. But they didn't even know me. They hadn't even given me a chance to prove that I wasn't less than human without parents.

In fact, it made me more of a human. Any dictionary would define 'human' as being susceptible to weaknesses. Heck, I had more Achilles Heels than I did feet.

Sighing, I decided my best bet at finding my mom would be to look in her room for clues. I checked both sides of the hall before phasing through the door.

It was completely dark within the room. I stumbled around the darkness before I was blessed with a light switch. The lamp barely casted enough lighting for me to see the area, but even that could be considered a wink from the heavens at this time.

The room, to my surprise, was in perfect condition. I mean, if you didn't mind a couple dust bunnies lying here and there. No one had been in here for a long time, you could be certain of that. Every object was precisely place in a position that seemed to claim it. It was as though the room itself was waiting for her.

I almost didn't want to disturb it's dusty essence by rummaging around for clues. Begrudgingly, I picked up a lonely pen and turned it about. My vision dulled, then suddenly shifted into a bright white light and focusing on a new image before me.

_ The light in the room dimmed significantly, showing that it is late night. Raven was seated at her desk gazing at a picture of her and Beast Boy. It's one that Starfire had secretly taken while they were too caught up in each other to notice the bright flash of her camera._

_She looks away from the picture with tears in her eyes. She hastily begins writing illegible words on a piece of paper before slipping it behind the photo._

_"I'm sorry, but I _have _to do this," she whispers to the empty room. "It'll be easier for you in the end."_

As I slipped back into reality, I nearly dropped the pen. Doing a clown-like juggling act I somehow managed to keep it from clattering against the mahogany desk.

I lifted the picture frame gently and, using my psychometric skill, honed in on the picture of my mom and Beast Boy.

_Raven and Beast Boy were talking in the kitchen, whispering amongst themselves. Starfire and Robin could be seen at the table, glancing at the couple from time to time._

_'I am most grateful Raven can finally be assured her father won't come for her.' Starfire murmured, scooping Robin's hands into hers._

_'Yeah,' Robin agreed. 'Now she can give her and Beast Boy a fighting chance without destroying everything anytime he tries to hold her hand.'_

_They both laughed._

_Beast Boy and Raven concluded their conversation before she turned around to finish making her tea. He watched her diligently working and couldn't keep from smiling. She stirred in a single cube of sugar and asked him what was so amusing. He shook his head._

_'Nothing.' He smirked, 'I was just thinking.'_

_'That could be dangerous.' She teased._

_'Hey!' he laughed, 'I do a lot more thinking than you'd imagine!'_

_'And might I ask what you think about so much?' She smiled coyly._

_Beast Boy brushed back a stray lock of hair behind her ears before answering, 'I think about us.'_

_She blushed intensely as he leaned down to kiss her. It was a quick peck on the lips, but it didn't take empathic powers to sense the love and sincerity behind it._

_'I think about us, too,' she admitted as they parted._

This time when I slipped into the present I dropped the object with a loud crash. I held my breath as the echo resounded throughout the room and into the hallway. I prayed to Azar no one would hear.

A moment of pure silence rested throughout the tower. I heard soft pattering of footsteps passing down the hall. I willed myself to hide behind one of the few suitable pieces of furniture, but it seemed my shoes weighed nearly a thousand pounds.

The automatic doors parted with a soft whoosh to reveal a rather flustered Beast Boy. He exhaled loudly as he realized it was only me. Heat rushed to my cheeks and I began to stutter an apology, but he cut me off.

"I know what it's like when curiosity gets the better of you, Azira." He sounded remarkably calm.

I nodded slowly and bent down to pick up the mess, placing the shattered glass on the desk. I shoved my hands in the pockets of my jeans and watched as Beast Boy studied the room grimly.

"You really miss her, don't you?" I asked.

"Of course I do." He answered, looking slightly ashamed.

"Admitting you miss her doesn't make you any less of a man, ya know. It makes you human."

He gave a brittle laugh.

"That sounds like something she would say." He paused before adding, "You really are just like her."

"You have no idea," I whispered.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Uh?" I shot him a wide-eyed look, "I didn't say anything."

"Yes, you did," he persisted. "Don't try to say you didn't. I may be human, but the beast part of me has better hearing."

"I just…" I fumbled for an excuse but nothing came to mind.

He pulled out the desk chair and seated himself, waiting patiently for me to continue.

"You wouldn't believe me anyway." I reasoned, bringing a conclusion to our discussion. I turned on my heels, and I seized the opportunity to make a hasty getaway.

* * *

Happy (very late) New Year, everyone! Thank you for sticking around _this _long!

Alright, as my New Year's resolution, I'm going to make myself update at least once a week to get this baby done! If I don't, feel free to chastise me as much as you want. Trust me, I'll need the push O.o

I'm already working on the next chapter, so I'm going to try and have it ready by Tuesday, if at all possible

Thanks again!

=^.^=


	7. More Than Man, Greater Than Beast

As promised, I updated by Tuesday :D

It's significantly longer than the previous chapter!

Hope y'all enjoy!

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~Beast Boy's POV~

It had almost been almost ten minutes since Azira left the room. Ten minutes that I have been in _her_ room. Ten minutes I had been staring at the picture of us.

I had not been in here once since the day she left. The thirteenth would mark the end of the second month she disappeared. I would give anything to go back in time. Even if I couldn't say anything to make her stay, if I could just see her again, hold her one more time…

Shaking away those thoughts I focused on the image once more. Starfire obviously took it when we weren't paying attention. There wasn't any artificial posing. We both wore true, genuine smiles.

The numbness I had been feeling suddenly ignited. It created such a burning sensation it seared the insides of my stomach, surging throughout my soul. Looking at us, so happy in the past. How could she have left so suddenly? Without any explanations at all! I clenched my fists so tightly my claw-like nails pierced my palms through the gloves.

Hot tears splashed onto the desk. I had managed to keep myself so calm in front of the others. They all believe I am getting better, but that wasn't the case. I was only hiding behind a façade. I was being what they wanted to see. Now, as I stared at the joy I had let slip away, anger, so strong it clouded my common sense, forced me to melt away the tough exterior.

My animalistic senses heightened, reminding me of the communicator in my pocket. I wrenched it out into the open and angrily dialed the number I knew all too well. It rang once…twice…three…four-

"Hello?"

At the sound of that beautiful, delicate voice my anger deteriorated. The whole world stopped. No longer did the rage inside me claw for an escape. It was tamed by a mere word uttered by my dark angel. The serene emotion lasted only moment before it was replaced by sudden skepticism.

"Is that really you?" my voice was wavering. My breath caught in my throat as I waited for a response.

"…Yes, it's me, Gar."

At her confirmation, I leapt to my feet, knocking over just about every object within the three-foot radius.

"Are…are you doing okay?" I asked, hoping not to frighten her off.

"I'm doing okay." She calmly responded.

"Where are you? I can't see anything on your end of the communicator…"

"I-I can't tell you."

"Why? Are you in some sort of trouble, cuz if you are we can-"

"No," she interrupted, "Like I said, everything is okay."

I tried with all my might to focus on the image before me. I could only see a faint silhouette of her profile. I tried to imagine her large, violet eyes and short feathery hair. No matter how hard I tried, it seemed entirely worthless. After one more attempt, I finally asked the question haunting me for way too long.

"Then" I hesitantly began, "why did you leave?"

Faint rustling could be heard as she shifted uncomfortable on her end of the line.

"You wouldn't understand, Gar."

With that the line went dead. The conversation I had hoped would solve everything only ended up leaving me even more confused.

* * *

~Azira's Room~

Once I reached my room I rummaged through my pockets until I finally located what I was looking for. I pulled out a small scrap of notebook paper. Luckily, I had managed to flee the room with it completely intact.

'Who is GL?' I thought to myself as I read the elegant handwriting on the cover.

Gazing at the note, I proceeded to have an internal debate with myself. I had a arduous time trying to convince myself that opening a letter so obviously meant for someone else wasn't completely against all morality. I was, after all, trying to find my mom. Maybe this GL character was the key to all my questions.

I opened the first layer as one would a book, my internal instincts yelling at me to put it down. I lifted the next fold, the angel to my right squealed to put it away while I still could. The raising of the final flap silenced any remnants of the subconscious dispute. I admired the delicate handwriting that was my mother's as I read:

_Dear Gar,_

_I know you must upset and confused. I wouldn't blame you if you were completely infuriated and hated me right now. There is no excuse I could give you that could ever make up for me leaving, but you I hope you will trust me when I say it is for the best._

_I wish more than anything that I could be there with you. I wish I could make you understand the reasons that made me leave. I want so much to protect you, but I couldn't find any other way other than this. I am doing what I have to do, and believe me, it hurts just as much as it does you. _

_Please, understand I love you more than anything, Garfield._

_ Yours Forever,_

_ Raven_

"There's a name!" I squealed.

Simultaneously, a loud crash emitted from Raven's room. The noise disconcerted me entirely. I crouched down beside my bed and propped myself against the wall. Beast Boy's muffled speech greeted my ears. He sounded flustered. A girl's voice replied to a question after which they engaged in a brief conversation. Then there was a long moment of silence. I pressed my ear closer to the wall.

"Why did you leave?"

Another long pause.

"You wouldn't understand, Gar."

Time came to a complete standstill.

'Gar?!' I thought frantically, 'Does that mean he is be talking to my mother? Could that mean...'

How could I have possibly missed the clandestine fact that had been thrust before my very eyes? Here I was, living in the same home as my father, yet I had failed to notice. I certainly favored my mother, but there was no denying our shared traits.

My eyes, for one, were exact replicas of his, right down to the dark emerald irises. Now that I thought about it, our mannerisms even mimicked one another's occasionally, such as the twiddling of our thumbs when we were uncomfortable. It was so inexplicably obvious, right there in plain sight. I had managed to overlook the inevitable. I collapsed on the soft beige carpet beneath me. The entire chamber spun around mercilessly and I could only lie there watching it churn.

Of course he was my father. He was the last one she had dated when she left. I squirmed on the floor until I was in an upright position on my knees.

"I am the daughter of Beast Boy and Raven," I said, simply to hear how it sounded. I practiced that sentence in my mind as though I were replaying a new favorite song online.

In a way, it also brought a bit of understanding to my distinctive qualities. They exceeded more than just magic, as my spirit form wasn't restricted to my shadow-cats as my mother's was to ravens. Everything was finally coming together, as though a fog was lifting off my heart.

The elaborate feeling of giddiness overwhelmed me as I realized exactly where I came from and exactly who I was for the first time in my entire life. More than man, greater than beast, my father is a true hero. That meant more to me than all of my childhood fantasies combined.

* * *

There you have it, folks! Beast Boy is in fact Azira's father! How many of you saw _that _one coming? Now, how will Azira bring up that one? Over breakfast? Over a nice game of Mega Monkeys X: The Vengeance of King Louie? Perhaps all of the above?!

Stay tuned to find out!

=^.^=


	8. Can You Handle It?

I've always wondered if anyone actually reads these things? Hmm...Oh, well. Here's the next chapter of A Scattered Past! Can _You _Handle It? Okay that was dumb O.o Please, proceed.

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The next morning, there was what should be considered the ultimate battle. The sun streamed in from the window, casting a beam of radiant light over my eyes. I couldn't believe it! I had barely dozed off, and now I was being indecently awoken from my slumber by the insolent sun.

The shroud of pure perfection invited me, tempted me to continuously lay with it. No matter how much I wanted to, I knew I would have to kick the sandman and his seductive ways to the curb. Today was much too significant to sleep it away. With a lot of effort I managed to compel myself out of the comforting embrace of the cotton sheets and get organized for the day.

At seven, I was surprised to discover not a single titan was about. Ceasing the opportunity to bribe Beast Boy into a day out on the town, I began to prepare the most astounding vegetarian meal I could before they began to stir.

~Beast Boy's POV~

On a regular day, there would not be any brain activity until eleven, but the distinct aroma of tofu bacon stirred me from my sleep. My body floated off the bed in a very Frankenstein manor. I shuffled down the hallways unbeknownst to me, and somehow managed to find my way to the kitchen.

When all my senses finally joined the rest of my body, I realized I wasn't alone. Starfire and Robin were seated at the table, eagerly anticipating the delicious meal being prepared before them. Cyborg was even in one of the booths, so that only left Azira behind the counter.

"Alright, you guys!" she chirped, "Breakfast is served!"

The others observed the meal with starry eyes and Cyborg ravenously inhaled the strips of bacon. I waited for him to spit them out like he did when I tricked him into eating tofu. To my surprise, he actually stomached them. Then proceeded to ask for seconds…

I sauntered over to the counter where Azira was frying more slices on the pan.

"He does know they're tofu, right?" I asked.

She looked up at me innocently, saying, "What he doesn't know won't hurt him…Man, you don't look so good."

I lifted my hand and rubbed the back of my neck, "Eh, I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Join the club," she yawned. "There's a plate waiting for you on the table."

I began replaying last night's conversation my mind as I absentmindedly consumed my breakfast. Even after the hours I spent analyzing it, I could not for the life of me understand why she felt I wouldn't understand.

We confided in each other, because even in our differences we were still alike. I may have been the one to goof off, to crack an admittedly lame joke during a serious conversation, but it was always in attempt to make her smile. She knew I was handling the situation in my own personal way. She saw potential others, and even I, had failed to see. Now that she was giving up on me, did that mean she could no longer believe in me? I wanted to be angry with her. Yet I knew there must be something much bigger than us going on with her, or else she would have stayed.

"Beast Boy!"

The sound of my name lured me back to the kitchen. I refocused on my surroundings only to find everyone had left except for Azira. She stared at me, a mixture of concern and fury on her face, an expression I knew all too well.

"Oh." I forked the rest of the tofu eggs in my mouth, "Breakfast was delicious!"

"Did you manage to taste any of it?" she questioned with a hint of incredulity.

I laughed though I wasn't really sure why.

"Sorry, I'm just a little out of it…"

"I can tell," She muttered. "Hey! You know what you need?"

"A nap?" I asked, hopefully.

"Nope, a good day out on the town!"

"Are you sure about that? I mean, normally I'd be up for that sort of thing, but with how many villains have been going bump in the daylight, I'd say it'd be best if-"

"You think too much. C'mon, it'll be fun." She urged.

I shuttered vehemently. In all seventeen years of my life, I have never once been told that I 'think _too_ much'.

"Alright, alright. I guess a quick run around Jump City wouldn't be all that bad."

"Great! Let's go."

* * *

~Jump City Park~

~Azira's POV~

The park was vibrant with clusters of adults enjoying picnics as they watched their children frolicking around them. A creeping sense of resentment lurked about as I watched them experiencing joys I had never known. I could only imagine what Beast Boy was feeling as we passed by infatuated young couples.

As we walked in prolonging silence, I began to feel the park wasn't such a good idea.

"So, is there anything you wanted to talk about or are we just kinda running around like chickens with our heads cut off?" Beast Boy unexpectedly joked.

I politely laughed before answering, "Well, you just looked like you could use a day out. Plus, I sorta heard a bit of a commotion in Raven's room after I left?"

He rubbed the back of his neck as he laughed nervously, "Oh, you heard that?"

"It was a little hard to miss," I admitted.

"Uh, yea…" he fidgeted. "I talked to Raven."

"Really?" I feigned astonishment. "What did she say?"

"Nothing much. She…she just said that she was doing okay."

He shrugged, though I knew well enough to know that wasn't all. And the eavesdropping helped too.

"And are _you_ okay?" I pressed cautiously.

He shrugged, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"No reason," I rushed.

"You've been actin kinda," he raised his eyebrow skeptically, "weird lately…is something up?"

The letter concealed in the pocket of my jeans felt as though it was on fire. It pleaded to be exposed and delivered to its rightful owner. If I showed him the note I could ask him what his interpretation was. Then I realized I wouldn't be able to explain how I got ahold of it…and why I read it when it wasn't addressed to me.

"I wouldn't say that something is up, but then it isn't exactly nothing either. It definitely is something but nothing to be concerned about, at least not yet. So I'm just gonna stop rambling before I end up exploding the entire park."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Beast Boy waved his arms around to cease my rambling. "Slow your roll, dude! So you have something to say, you just don't know how to say it, right?"

I didn't think it was at all possible to understand my pointless babbling, especially when I couldn't even understand myself half the time. I couldn't help but giggle as I realized it was probably him I got the rambling gene from.

"Yea, that sums it up perfectly. I was just thinking," I took a deep breath, "Do you think you could teach me how to shape-shift?"

"That's what you were afraid to ask?" He laughed.

Beast Boy paused as if pondering what form he could teach first.

Out of nowhere he shifted into an elongated rodent with small, sharp teeth. He flicked his extended tail to and fro, gazing up at me with bright green eyes momentarily before shifting into his human form.

"Can you handle it?" He challenged.

Taking a deep breath, I imagined the animal's sleek body becoming my own. A massive truck hurtling into my body would have been favored over the throbbing pain overwhelming me. No matter how many times I changed, I could never go unscathed by the millions of molecules expanding and contracting to become a foreign shape; I could only learn to disregarded the agony. I had to truly focus on truly being the animal.

The change imprisoned me in a smaller frame, yet made my soul feel completely free, unrestrained by ethical limitations. Animal instincts hazed my intentions for a split second. I had to remember who I was. Trying to fixate myself on my instructor, I reminded myself that I was a human, not an complete beast.

His mouth moved, though in all honesty I could only understand his animated gestures. Unexpectedly, an abrupt movement caught my alert eyes. The slithering form heightened my senses, and every part of my mind screamed to go for the chase. And in my current state, of course I listened to my instincts.

Just as I grasped the snake in my jaws the distant sound of my name made me falter. The serpent writhed, begging to be released. Another call of my name and my primitive ways faded.

Without further hesitation I liberated the snake from its confinement and returned to the human state.

"I can't believe I almost ate that slithering, oversized worm!" I made sour face. "Why'd you pick a mongoose of all things?"

"I lived in Africa before I joined the Doom Patrol. A mongoose was the very first thing I changed into." He said, and then added sheepishly, "Except I actually ate the snake."

"Are you serious?" I giggled.

"Hey! You were going to eat it before I stopped you." He folded his arms across his chest.

"I guess," I admitted.

As I studied the satisfied smirk he wore, I contemplated telling him everything. But as he began to ready himself for another lesson, I realized I couldn't possibly ruin the moment by breaking the news on him so abruptly. The numerous dreams, hopes I had once deemed unattainable, of spending quality time with my father were now within reach. I couldn't risk it deteriorating before my very eyes when the chances had transpired at last.

* * *

~Titan's Tower~

~Beast Boy's POV~

After working with Azira for a couple more hours at the park, we decided it'd be best to head back to the tower. She was strangely interested in the idea of video games. It only took half an hour of playing Mega Monkeys X for her to become completely addicted.

"Dude, I'm totally kickin' your butt!" Azira laughed.

"We're on the same team!" I shouted back.

She hesitated for a moment before bouncing back into her typical ardent state.

"Whatever, I still have more points than you!"

"I'm just a bit rusty." I explained, "I haven't played in a while."

"Why not?"

The screen suddenly froze, a giant monkey comically caught midair in an elaborate jump.

"I just haven't."

Azira set down her controller, her eyes wide with concern. Seemingly understanding I didn't want to talk about it, she excused herself saying she would be back in a few minutes. I stared a the facetious monkeys on the screen. They laughed at my despair, or so it seemed. They adorned all my wretched sorrow. I was definitely tired of all this self-loathing and moping around. I just wanted to be happy again, but even when I found it in a game, in a simple moment, I'm reminded of Raven. It certainly didn't help that Azira looked freakishly like her.

A the sound of knocking, I dragged myself to the entrance, assuming it to be either a fan or the mail. To my surprise, when I opened the door, no one was there. I checked frantically for a visitor, yet I saw no one.

When I was about to head back, an envelope resting on the stone steps caught my eyes. It wasn't the letter itself that grabbed my attention. It wasn't the fact it had already been opened or even the 'GL' scribbled across the top. It was the handwriting, almost as beautiful as the girl who wrote it.

* * *

Ohh! What will Beast Boy think when he reads the note? Stay tuned and find out next time!

=^.^=


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